Goldfish
by Animerulzs1267
Summary: Nagisa, a young little boy, goes to the carnival with his best friends on his birthday. Winning his own goldfish, he was excited. But after its passing, Nagisa wasn't the cheerful boy he was. So, Rin, Haruka and Makoto got together to join forces and get him a new pet! Will this trio of mischievous youngsters get Nagisa to stay cheerful?


Goldfish

Today was a brilliant day for Nagisa, a young boy, and his group of friends who took him on his birthday to the carnival. He always dreamed of going here but never thought he could because of his parents—yet this time they actually granted Nagisa permission to go! The air was hot all around; the youngsters were in their small but great group of friends who ventured proudly and curiously around the carnival. Clowns carried balloons and juggled happily around, the Ferris wheel from the distance was spinning leisurely around and around, the merry-go-round was just nearby and Nagisa hoped to go there afterwards.

"Hey, Nagisa," Rin said, running forward from the path and with a straight arm pointed at a certain booth. "Let's go to the goldfish one!"

Makoto and Nagisa who enthusiastically raced off, Haruka stood a little awkwardly behind while Rin patiently waited for him.

"You're not going to get one for yourself, are you?" Haruka questioned him bluntly, following him and the rest of the group toward the booth.

"No, I'm gonna try catch a goldfish for Nagisa!" Rin said confidently. They raced over the booth near Nagisa and Makoto who, on their knees, stared wondrously at the little fishes who swam elegantly around their home.

Somewhat cockily, Rin declared to the group he will be the one getting Nagisa the best goldfish. Makoto promised Nagisa he will try his best in catching one for him while Haruka told him if the two ran out of money, he would give them some change, knowing they will have to pay him back later. Nagisa, joyful and brimming with happiness, decided to join in the competition to get his own goldfish.

Rin, Makoto and Nagisa paid for a chance to play—the elder man gave them thin-papered *_pois _and told them to play at their hearts content—and all three were ready. While Haruka watched over Rin and Makoto, he could see Rin was completely failing in this game. He attempted time after time to literally scoop in the water and catch the goldfish, but not only did the _poi _break, it frightened the goldfishes where all avoided Rin's side.

Makoto tried his best just like he said. He often waited patiently for a goldfish to swim by, he tried to catching them yet couldn't. Soon his poi was broken and he had no money left to try again.

But out of nowhere, Nagisa suddenly caught a goldfish—the very one he eyed the most—with his _poi_ and won! Rin groaned from afar, Makoto congratulated him happily while Haruka pat Nagisa on the back. Nagisa was overjoyed with his great achievement. As he and his new friend in his hands walked home with everyone, he would remember this day as the best time of his life.

XxXxXxX

Unfortunately Nagisa came back home with his fish and after the week passed by, he noticed how his special goldfish wasn't swimming much... He floated on the surface as though he was resting. His goldfish wasn't like this a few days before. Nagisa made sure he was fed the right amount of food, had his bowl of water changed and all the possibly ways of taking care of his new pet. What did he do wrong? Nagisa stared, confused. Tapping on the glass of his bowl he waited for a response. Nothing happened. Panic-stricken, the innocent child raced over to the kitchen for his mother who was making dinner. With tears streaming down his face, he grieved and asked what had happened to his precious fish.

Nagisa's mother was edgeless at that point. She didn't lie like other mothers, picking the easiest option and spoke "the mother's white lie" about animal's dying. She instead told the blunt truth and caused Nagisa to break in such grisly sobs. The only words she said was 'boys shouldn't cry, go and wash your face' and went back to preparing dinner.

After washing his face and forcing his feet to move downstairs, he ran for the nearest telephone to call Haruka first, who called Makoto, who later dialed Rin's home number and explained the bad news. Nagisa heard his mother calling for him and had to hang up first. Before hanging up, he thanked them for listening. Per contra Haruka, Rin and Makoto took it upon themselves to make a plan.

It wasn't too long when one of them came up with an eccentric idea.

"Guys, I have the perfect plan on how to make Nagisa happy!" Rin declared loudly on the phone, absent-minded of the damage he caused in Makoto and Haruka's ears.

"What is it?" Haruka asked.

"We're going back to the carnival and get that nice goldfish I saw," He explained casually.

"But…how?" Makoto asked worryingly. "What if they're gone? And what will happen if we can't get them because we're so bad at the game?"

"Then we'll just do what all Japanese people do," Rin stated confidently, "and become ninjas! I got some black masks and we can go at night since I'm free tonight."

"I don't really have much to do," Haruka said. "If plan A doesn't work, we'll go with ninjas."

"Uh...let's try the first plan...?"

"ALL RIGHT!" Rin declared heroically, ruining everyone's hearing through the phone.

Then he hung up.

Operation Goldfish was on!

XxXxXxX

"What do you _mean_ you guys don't have anymore?" Rin bellowed loudly at the man behind his stand. The old, grumpy-looking man (who was, previously, cheerful until today) glared from Rin to Haruka as if to say silently 'is this friend of yours bad at hearing or what?' while Haruka shook his head tiredly. The old man only stroked his beard with upmost stress from these children.

The owner of the goldfish stand stared straight into Rin's fury blazing eyes and said, "I told you about, what, five times? Yeah, five times... I told you all the goldfish were won by _other_ kids. Come back tomorrow and get your chance to catch one."

Rin glared dumbfounded-ly at the man. Was he serious? Makoto took the awkward silence to step forward and thank the man, and Haruka stood behind while, smirking mentally, contemplating what Rin planned next. Not too soon Rin cooling down for a brief moment declared this operation a failure. However, Haruka knew Rin wasn't about to give up so easily.

"Okay...so maybe Operation Goldfish failed," Rin said, walking forward quicker down the dirt path, "but we still have a chance someplace else."

"Like where?"

"Well, for one thing, we can go to the Pet Shop. If we can't get one there, we'll wait for the guy before to restock!"

_I _**know**_ for a fact you're not gonna do that... _Haruka thought silently to himself, staring behind Rin's reddish locks of hair. _If I'm wrong and we end up getting a goldfish in some pet store, I swear I won't swim for a week...no, maybe the next day... Oh, wait, I have practice so I guess whenever I get the chance._ No matter how many excuses Haruka made, he found an answer for swimming.

As the three boys head down to the small section of the carnival, heading for the gate for their journey to the Pet store, they noticed how the area was starting to decrease in booths. The booth they got cotton candy from was gone. That one ride, the merry-go-round, was being taken apart by grown men who took the riding horses to a huge track secretly blocked by other larger booths.

Rin discovered this, realizing something terrible and gawked at his friends.

"Guys, what day is it today?"

"Um...it's, well, the ninth of April," Makoto said surely. "Why, is something happening today-?"

"They're freaking _leaving! _That bastard lied to us, what the hell?" Rin didn't care if some older lady or an adult passed by hearing him swear, this was an outrageous treachery!

Haruka had concluded the unforeseen: this was the carnival's final day of show business. No wonder everyone was getting ready behind the innocent children's backs. It would cause a massive uproar of little ones crying their eyes out, knowing the inevitable departure their favorite rides and performers took. Maybe Haruka felt deep down somewhat disappointed in the two things such as one, Rin was going to get himself smacked or pulled by the earlobe for his astonishing knowledge of hideous words and two, they might find the goldfish in the Pet store or anywhere…

XxXxXxX

"Oh, I am so sorry," the lady behind the counter apologized sincerely to the boys who peered up at her. Their height was rather defeated because of that huge counter the lady was over and Rin, the angriest—he still didn't forgive that man for lying to them, but who would, really?—out of them all had to tiptoe just so he could at least seem mature.

In the whole store Haruka could hear baby dogs barking for attention behind them, parrots from foreign countries squawking loudly in their cages way above their heads and from the counter there was a rack of animal key chains. The essence of animal food wafted past Haruka's sensitive nose. He found the animal food scents rather itchy to his nostrils.

"What do you mean, 'I am so sorry'?" Rin gawked at the woman who took it by surprise yet held her costumer arriving smile.

"Well that carnival," she said, pointing at the door behind them—even though the carnival was nowhere in sight but rather a few blocks away, "wanted all the goldfish. I couldn't refuse. So I gave them all the goldfish and they said they'd give me half of what they earned to me."

"That's utter shit!" Rin shouted.

The woman forgotten the fake kindness and slammed her hand on the counter. Haruka felt spooked from the woman's sudden atmosphere of sweetness-turned-wickedness.

"Oh, I am hearing a child cursing…in _my store_?" the woman questioned Rin viciously, her hand rising up slowly to grab Rin by the collar.

Luckily, with Rin's quickness, he jumped backwards and cried, "RUN, SHE'S INSANE!"

Makoto and Haruka, not wanting to know what the future may bring in this Pet store, broke out into a sprinting run and got out just in time. As they ran down the first block they overheard the woman's shrilling voice shouting at them. None caught what she said and glad they didn't stick around to find out while the three took a hard right turn near the corner. Haruka had no idea how long they ran. From the Pet store, to the café, and eventually the entrance of park they all panted from exhaustion as their hearts beat with exhilaration. The carnival was still packing up by their viewing disappointed eyes.

Makoto sighed, "How are we going to make it up to Nagisa now?"

"We…we gotta have another plan!" Rin declared. His enthusiasm still enticed despite the losing circumstances.

Haruka looked at Rin to Makoto and sighed. His hands reached over to his left pants pocket and pulled out, what seemed like, three black ninja masks. Rin hollered in praise when his red eyes caught sight of them, Makoto trembled in fear but knew exactly what had to be done, and Haruka made sure Nagisa wasn't going to let his trying spirit after catching that goldfish go down in vain.

XxXxXxX

Haruka, Makoto and Rin all snuck into the carnival undetected. They hid behind remaining booths, raced expeditiously about the park and by the time they stationed themselves behind the goldfish booth, all placed their hands in the middle of a teaming circle and praised each other for what is to come. Haruka had to admit: the masks were tight and totally suspecting. If they get caught it was the end for their plan. He knew he couldn't mess up this plan, neither did the others who felt the same.

Rin, with his back on the wall's surface, motioned cautiously (and ridiculously) to the right side of the corner booth and took a gander of the surroundings. Makoto did the same, shyly peeping back and forth to avoid his head being seen. First Rin cleared his search, and then Makoto whispered to Haruka 'he's not here' in an almost-unheard whisper. Makoto and Haruka dashed to the left side and, with no one seeing them, gone inside the counter-less wooden booth only to freeze in shock.

The man from before, the one who told them he didn't have any left, was on his chair while taking a nap. His snores deafened and shook Makoto out of his wits. Haruka knew he had to keep a calm attitude. Any risks of excitement or fear could ruin the mission. The young boy checked the surroundings from his standing point, looking for anything that would hold the target. There, just between the old man and he and his friend, Haruka saw a table with a golden goldfish swimming composedly in circles of its water bowl.

Haruka placed a hand on his friend's shoulder and said, "I'll go get the bowl. You just make sure no one comes here." Before Makoto could protest, Haruka carefully stride past the man who snorts during his snores and often muttered yet stayed asleep.

Makoto could only bite his small nails as he watched his friend risk his life trying to get the bowl. Haruka, despite the risk, didn't seem in any way in trouble as he stood in front of the table and, almost casually, picked the heavy bowl up and kept it close to his chest. Mission accomplished! As he began turning around he saw his friend biting his nails again, and was disappointed of Makoto's nervous behavior.

Looking at the old man, his bushy white beard untouched and large sunburnt nose were visibly seen in Haruka's riled though pastoral eyes. How dare that man deceit them previously? What had they done to him, other than Rin bothering him acutely? Then again, Haruka did feel a sense of guilt for taking this one last goldfish he had...

But then again, he lied, so karma. Haruka raced quietly off to Makoto who heaved a relieved sigh and escaped with him. Once they met up with Rin who gave a grin and thumbs up, they all dashed off to meet Nagisa.

XxXxXxX

Nagisa was truly depressed. Staring at his empty fish bowl on his lap and contemplating the wonderful times they had, he was sorrowful for its passing. Looking up from his bowl to his bedroom wall, all of his pictures he drew were up and had his personal signature on every one. However, Nagisa paid close attention to two picture: the one on the left with his group of friends and himself carrying his goldfish in a plastic bag. The other is Nagisa feeding his goldfish and that was just the day before his first pet died.

Confound by this pernicious misfortune, Nagisa placed the empty bowl beside the right and continued to stare purposelessly at the wall.

But suddenly, Nagisa heard his mother calling for him. Her voice sounded rather shrilling and almost forceful but Nagisa compelled his legs to pull him up and walked dismally downstairs.

"Nagisa," he heard his mother call to him while he descended down the stairs, "you have friends by the door. Why didn't you tell me they were coming, I could've made some drinks..." Nagisa never listened to his mother's complaints as he raced off to see if they were really here.

When Nagisa got to the front door, which was opened wide and the sun shining behind his friends, he witnessed Rin, Makoto, and Haruka, with a bowl carrying an excited golden fish swimming playfully inside its water. Haruka held the bowl tight and protective, Rin still wore his mischievous 'bank-robber' sock mask and Makoto waved timidly to Nagisa who gaped at them in shock.

"Guys...how...?" He pointed at the bow, shell-shocked written all over his expression.

"We...uh, found another one!" Rin said.

"Really, how?" Nagisa asked eagerly.

Rin seemed bleak but Haruka took his turn to speak, "All of us, like you, were upset when your fish died," Haruka spoke without hesitation, "and we got together to pan what to do-"

"It was me," Rin intervened, "I am so awesome to come up with the idea that I-"

"Shut up Rin," Haruka snapped ruthlessly and continued. "Anyway, we all got together and got you a new goldfish. Here." Haruka offered Nagisa the bowl, Nagisa took it carefully and never knew how lumbering it was!

"This is our way of both saying sorry of your first pet's passing," Makoto revealed politely, "and saying how much we love you by getting you a re...re...uh...?" Makoto glanced up, confused of pronouncing the grown-up word.

"Reincarnation..." said Haruka indifferently.

"Yeah, that word! A _reincarnation_ of your last pet! Uh...Nagisa?" Makoto became immediately worried over the slightly tearful Nagisa who admired at his new pet and turned to his three friends.

Nagisa was choking for words. He felt overcome-d with many emotions: happiness, love, and most of all appreciation for his best friends. The young innocent boy desired running to everyone and hug them but with the bowl, he just wept. Rin, Makoto and Haruka were caught off guard at first, but one by one, they stride side-by-side and gave Nagisa a deserving hug.

He knew, from that day on, he had friends who would always love him.

"Um...guys," sniffed Nagisa a little, "can I ask how you actually got the fish?"

Unbeknownst to him, the three glanced at each other rather nervously but Rin declared loudly, "MAGIC, CAUSE I'M AWESOME!" Rin wiggled his eyes at the other two. Makoto smiled meekly while Haruka just shook his head.

Nagisa laughed. Rin always made him laugh from his funny jokes. Nonetheless, he was utterly content.


End file.
